Cierra Sua has been named a Gates Millennium Scholar, the second student at the high school to receive the prestigious award in the past two years. Only 1,000 students are chosen out of more than 54,000 applicants.

"Words can't really explain how much it means to me," Sua said. "It's a reward for the hard work I've done in academics, and it's also a blessing to me and my family."

Sua said she couldn't have afforded to attend a major university without the scholarship, but now she will have her education at the University of Utah paid for. She said she plans to major in elementary education.

The Independence School District said Sua is just one example of how Van Horn has improved since it moved out of Kansas City Public Schools in 2007. Then, it had the second-highest dropout rate in the state of Missouri. Now, the school's graduation rate has tripled.

"Through the efforts of the Independence School District and certainly Van Horn's staff and administration, (students) now have opportunities that maybe they otherwise wouldn't have had," said superintendent Dale Herl.

Van Horn was one of five schools that the Independence School District took over from Kansas City Public Schools, but it was the only high school. Last year, Van Horn student Rungrote Athajarusith won a Gates Millennium Scholarship and is studying at the University of Central Florida.

KEECH AND STUDENTS OFTEN POST CONTROVERSIAL QUOTES ABOUT THE ISSUES OF THE DAY IN A BOARD AN IMPRESSIVE HONOR FOR A VAN HORN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT TONIGHT. THE INDEPENDENCE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS CELEBRATING MAKING STRIDES AT THE FORMER KANSAS CITY- DISTRICT SCHOOL. PEGGY BREIT IS THERE LIVE TO EXPLAIN. PEGGY... THIS SCHOOL IS RIDING HIGH TONIGHT AFTER FINDING OUT THEY ARE HOME TO THE SECOND GATES MILLENIUM SCHOLAR IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. WORDS CAN'T REALLY EXPLAIN HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO ME, IT'S A REWARD FOR THE HARD WORK I'VE DONE IN ACADEMICS AND IT'S ALSO A BLESSING TO ME AND MY FAMILY. CIERRA SUA SAYS SHE COULD NOT HAVE AFFORDED TO ATTEND A MAJOR UNIVERSITY WITHOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP. BUT NOW SHE'LL HAVE ALL HER EDUCATION PAID FOR. SHE'S ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH WHERE SHE'LL MAJOR IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION. (:13) THE DISTRICT SAYS CIERRA IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW VAN HORN HAS IMPROVED SINCE INDEPENDENCE TOOK IT OVER IN 2007. THEN, IT HAD THE SECOND WORST GRADUATION RATE IN THE STATE OF MISSOURI. NOW, THE GRADUATION RATE HAS TRIPLED. THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE INDEPENDENCE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CERTAINLY VAN HORN'S STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION, THEY NOW HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAYBE THEY OTHERWISE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD. VAN HORN WAS ONE OF FIVE SCHOOLS THAT THE INDEPENDENCE DISTRICT TOOK OVER, BUT IT WAS THE ONLY HIGH SCHOOL. LIVE AT VAN HORN, PB, KMBC 9 NEWS. MORE THAN 54- THOUSAND STUDENTS APPLIED FOR THE GATES MILLENIUM

Chris Colabello hit a two-run home run, R.A. Dickey threw seven shutout innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 in testy matchup Sunday, taking three of four from the AL's top team.